AAP recommendations

So, I've had in my head (and what I see all over is) that the AAP rec is to not start solids til 6 months. But today I looked it up on their website, and all I can find is a press release that recommends "waiting to introduce solid foods until infants are between 4 and 6 months". That's from 2/7/2011.

Re: AAP recommendations

ok, never mind, i just had to put on my researcher hat to find it. (but seriously - why not make these things easy for people to find online? why did i need a subscription to the research journal??)

anyway: AAP "reaffirms its recommendation of eexclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, with continuation of breastfeeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant. Medical contraindications to breastfeeding are rare. Infant growth should be monitored with the WHO Growth Curve Standards to avoid mislabeling infants as underweight or failing to thrive. ..."

Re: AAP recommendations

Kinda sorta related, I read somewhere (probably here!) that AAP might be changing its recommendations to match WHO's recommendations of nursing to 2 years...anyone know anything about that? (sorry, I don't have a researcher hat. They didn't issue me one during the two years of art schooling and one year of massage schooling...)

Re: AAP recommendations

Another thing that throws a monkey wrench into the works, as far as solids go, is that the Section on Breastfeeding recommends introducing solids at 6 months unless otherwise medically indicated, while the Committee on Nutrition recommends 4-6 months "if safe and nutritious complementary foods are available". See the AAP's policy statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk: http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...115/2/496.full. (The acknowledgement of the difference between the 2 groups can be found in the footnotes.)

Re: AAP recommendations

actually they reached consensus in February 2012 - it's now 6 months across the board, as stated in the excerpt from the article i took above. There's another commentary confirming it: Journal of Human Lactation 28(2) 116-117, "The AAP Updates its Policy on Breastfeeding and Reaches Consensus on Recommended Duration of Exclusive Breastfeeding" by Lori Feldman-WInter, MD, MPH